Park Geun-hye, the ruling Saenuri Party candidate for the recently concluded presidential election, waves to her supporters after exiting her home in southern Seoul, South Korea, 19 December 2012, to head to her party’s headquarters to declare victory as the first female president of South Korea. EPA/STFEPA

John BurtonSeoul

Published at 12:01AM, December 20 2012

South Korea chose its first woman president yesterday in an historic election
that overcame traditional male dominance in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

The Conservative ruling party candidate Park Geun Hye, the daughter of the
military strongman credited with creating South Korea’s economic miracle,
defeated her liberal opponent Moon Jae In, who was once briefly jailed by
her father for anti-government protests.

Ms Park is expected to win the election with a lead of around five percentage
points, Korean broadcast networks said.

Ms Park’s campaign slogan of “A Prepared Female President” will be put to the
test during her mandatory single five-year